Set high in the Savoie Alps, Tignes has year round snow and offers some of Europe’s best skiing. The highest of the resort villages with superb access to some of the best skiing available is Val Claret which lies at the foot of the Grande Motte glacier, a couple of kilometres above Tignes-le-Lac. Val Claret has fast lifts leading towards Val d’Isere and the Grande Motte as well as a funicular to the glacier. The village is self-contained with a variety of shops, restaurants and bars.

A couple of kilometres below Val Claret is Tignes-le-Lac, the hub of the resort, with a choice of friendly and very lively bars where you can indulge in a bit of après ski after your day in the mountains. There are also lots of shops, restaurants, a twice weekly market and an excellent sports centre with various pools, slides, therapies and fitness facilities on offer. The lower villages of Tignes-les-Boisses and Tignes-les-Brevieres are smaller and quieter; a regular free bus service runs daily until midnight between all the resort villages so it is easy to get around.

The local slopes of Tignes are ideal for keen intermediate skiers, with the red and blue runs on the Grande Motte renowned for great snow, and a long, cruising red run all the way down to the village. Beginners have excellent nursery slopes at Tignes–le-Lac and le Lavachet, with a rather steeper slope at Val Claret. The best green runs are over in Val d’Isere but there are some fairly easy blues to the west of Tignes.

It goes without saying that this area is superb for expert skiers and boarders, with seemingly endless opportunities for going off-piste and some challenging black runs. Snowboarders flock to Le SPOT (Skiing the Powder of Tignes), on the western side of the Tignes ski area which has ‘ungroomed’ zones for experts, freestylers and improvers.